“To the ordinary eye, these photographs look like mere slices of everyday life,” the AFP said in a statement.
“But for the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) they’re tiny clues that could help to identify, save and support victims of online child sexual exploitation (OCSE).”
The nine images are known to have Australian connections to either victims, location or offender.
The images have been censored to remove graphic material as the AFP hopes releasing them may help in providing useful information or insights from the public.
”One of the photos from this latest Stop Child Abuse – Trace an Object release shows two framed football jerseys, so, in putting it out into public, we’re looking to spark the memory of anyone who might have come across them,” Victim Identification team leader Detective Sergeant Lana Carey said.
“Possibilities here could include a player or club member who might recognise the jersey colours or design, a framer who might remember doing the job, or a fan who might know the significance of the number 8 and 11 jerseys being grouped together.
“It’s about tapping into the wisdom of everyday Australians. And we know they’re eager to play a role, given the previous three image releases have generated 1372 reports and counting.”
Carey noted that while every photo represented cases where all lines of inquiry had been exhausted, they were not seen as dead ends.
”Our identification specialists never give up on a victim,” she said.
“We follow every lead and avenue we have when files first come into the ACCCE, and if we don’t succeed.”
We will continue to visit them periodically, year after year after year after year, to see if new intelligence or technology might open up fresh lines of inquiry.
“It’s about the never-ending hunt for closure, the commitment to saving and supporting victims and survivors and, hopefully, that bittersweet moment when you realise you’ve solved it.”
“Our victim identification team members receive fresh images of online child sexual exploitation every single day,” Commander Schneider said.
“And every new file carries just as much horror and trauma for the victim as the one before it.
“Every one of them represents a life upended, so when team members take on a case, they never give up; it’s our version of looking for a needle in a haystack.
“We know community leads can make or break an investigation, so we encourage people to remember that any tip they give us – no matter how small could change the life of a victim.”
